City architect built from the ground up

This is the third in a Saratogian series about local architects, developers, designers and builders who shape the city of Saratoga Springs. SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Architect Susan Davis believes open communication, realistic budgets and deadlines are the keys to creating a good project -- one that is well used and makes the people who use it happy. Davis and her husband, Don, are the principals of SD Atelier Architecture at 384 Broadway. She specializes in custom residential homes, light commercial properties and historic renovations. Although her name may not be as well known as others who have worked on large, downtown buildings, Davis said her firm has been in the area since 1992. Prior to working independently, Davis was already building her reputation as a project architect for Frost Architecture of Saratoga Springs. As a working mother, however, Davis said part of what motivated her to found her own firm was the flexible hours it provided so she could better balance her family life with her work life. SD Atelier, which is French for "studio," employs three people. Davis said the firm's business has increased every year since they moved their office out of her home six years ago. Profit margins were up by about 50 percent last year, she said. "A lot of heart and soul goes into a project to get it correct for a client. Whatever the space is, it needs to reflect the people using it," Davis said. "That is what I enjoy -- every project, or house, is different." As an architect, Davis said her philosophy is to first listen carefully to her clients and pick up on their ideas. There is no particular style in her designs because every project is unique, she said. She tries to be conscious of the budget, but always works within those limitations to be creative. Most of Davis' work is regional, but she is doing a project in Teluride, Col., and she said she finds herself working in the Adirondacks more often. One project always leads to another, she said. Some of Davis' current projects include a commercial kitchen renovation at the Adirondack League Club, the oldest hunting and fishing club in the country; designing a way to increase the seating capacity at Caffe Lena by 60 percent while maintaining the intimate environment; construction drawings for a new rehearsal studio at The Seagle Music Colony in Schroon Lake; the Malta Ambulance Corps facility; and custom homes in Saratoga, Greenfield and Guilderland. A graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Davis also studied in Rome, Italy and worked as an intern at Atelier D'Architecture in Lausanne, Switzerland from 1985-1986. As a child, Davis said she was always fascinated with other people's homes and how they were laid out. The ability to interpret those ideas on paper has earned her several awards, including the 1998 Preservation Award for construction drawings for the Yarinsky house on North Broadway and a first place National Design Award for small gyms under 20,000 square feet for the World Gym of Saratoga. Davis worked as the project architect for Olsen Associates on the gym project. In an industry where women account for only about 20 percent, Davis said this recognition has not exempted her from some of the stereotypes still out there. One of the biggest challenges of the job has been gaining the respect of the construction workers in the field, where the work environment is more male dominated, she said. "You have to be able to run and laugh with the boys to gain their respect. When Don and I go to meet clients for the first time, women are drawn to me about decorating ideas and men look to Don as the architect," Davis said. "I want to make people aware that I don't just draw pretty lines. I may not be that good with a hammer, but I know why a beam is sized a certain way. I have been drawing plans for 20 years." Saratoga is a place of many rich, different styles of architecture, Davis said. But one of her concerns is the amount of growth happening on the outskirts of town, she said. "I think we have a great mix of businesses downtown, but we don't want too much suburbia to come here," she said. In addition to architecture, Davis is an arts educator and has done educational programs for elementary age children in schools, libraries and art festivals. In her free time, she said she enjoys bike rides with her family and any outdoor activities such as camping and gardening. The challenge, she said, is carving out time for herself